Water purification, or the process of removing undesirable chemicals, biological contaminants, suspended solids and gases from contaminated water, is used to provide water fit for human consumption, also known as potable water or drinking water. Known methods used to purify water include physical processes (i.e. filtration), sedimentation, and distillation, biological processes (i.e. slow sand filters or biologically active carbon), chemical processes (i.e. flocculation and chlorination) and the use of electromagnetic radiation such as ultraviolet (“UV”) light. Water purification may lower the concentration of particulates, like suspended particles, bacteria, parasites, fungi, algae, viruses, and an assortment of dissolved and particulate matter resulting from the environment.
Visual examination of natural water present in the environment is not enough to determine if the water is potable. Thus, there is clearly a need for water treatment systems or devices for purifying natural occurring water to make it drinkable. The broad field of water treatment systems includes two classes of equipment, a point of entry device or system and a point of use device or system. Point of entry equipment treats water before distribution through a community or a building and typically utilizes microfiltration, chlorination, and/or ozonation technologies to remove and/or kill various contaminants in water. On the other hand, point of use equipment treats water at its source of consumption or use. The instant invention is directed toward a point of use device useful for treating and purifying water from a source prior to use, as may be required to treat natural water in the environment.
Point of use water treatment systems have become ever more popular as more individuals become concerned about the water they use and drink. However, these systems are limited to utilization at a specific location (e.g. at an individual's place of residence), and hence are not amenable to portable use. The need for portable water treatment systems for providing potable water at remote locations is important. This requirement exists, for example, in rural areas where potable water supply is not readily available, like on a camping trip or trips to under developed land or countries. Similarly, portable water systems are often required in the aftermath of disasters such as earthquakes and tropical storms where the local water supply has been contaminated or disrupted. In these situations, some effective method of treating local water becomes necessary.
Many water purification systems use power to be effective. A power source is not always available in remote areas and it becomes inconvenient to carry a power source such as a generator or even batteries to those locations. It is desirable to have a built-in system that provides practically limitless power while also being small enough to be incorporated in to a small package.
In cases where a person is in jeopardy of hyperthermia or hypothermia, it may be necessary to cool or heat the person's internal system. An effective way of doing this is to ingest cooled or warmed liquid. With a thermal-electric plate the water in the canteen may be cooled or warmed to a sufficient level, regardless of the temperature of the water that is taken in to the canteen, to aid in the person's recovery from the given condition.
A point of use portable water purification system must be effective to purify the water and to remove particulates, inorganic materials and hydrocarbons. In addition to these requirements, it is desirable that a point of use portable water purification system must be simple and convenient to use. It is also desirable that such a portable water purification system not require the addition of chemicals and the like to be added to the water which either may lessen the quality of the treated water and/or require additional supplies. Another requirement for a point of use portable water purification device is that it be compact and light weight, thereby making it portable. Thus, it is desired that the device must be capable of being carried empty or without water, for instance as part of the gear needed for hiking or camping, and then utilized when a source of water is found, thus relieving the camper, hiker, transport person, or the like, of the need to carry the weight of the water.
The instant invention is designed to provide a solar powered water purification canteen that addresses at least some of the problems mentioned above.